Button holder and button



J1me 1960 R. FRYDRYCHOWICZ 2,940,146

BUTTON HOLDER AND BUTTON Filed June 11, 1957 INVENTOR ROMA/V FRYDRYOHOW/CZ United States Patent 2,940,146 BUTTON HOLDER BUTTON RomanFrydrychowiez, 527-3 Tannton St., Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaFiled June 11, 1957, Ser. No. 664,933 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-107) Thisinvention relates generally to buttons forgarments, and moreparticularly has reference to a button holder that is adapted forsupporting upon the garment a conventional button, Without the necessityof attaching the button by means of thread. The invention further hasreference to a novelly designed button which can be engaged with thebutton holder, should one prefer not to use a conventional button inassociation with the holder.

It is Well known that sewing buttons on garments is a tedious,time-consuming task. This duty requires a certain amount of skill andpatience that may not be possessed by one confronted with the necessityof attaching the button to a garment.

Not only is the conventional method of attaching a button to a garmenttedious and time-consuming, but also, once the button is attached, itmust thereafter remain on the garment more or less permanently. Thus, itmust pass through clothes laundering machines, be left on the garmentwhile the garment is being pressed or ironed, etc. This is undesirable,in many instances. Hence, there is a clear need, recognized to someextent in the prior art, for quickly attachable and detachable buttons.Such buttons should be attachable without the use of needle and thread,by unskilled persons.

So-called threadless' buttons have heretofore been conceived. However,in some instances, the buttons have been so designed as to permit themto be removed from the garment only by a force that tends to damage thebutton. Such a button must appropriately be considered, thus, as asingle-use button.

In the same or other instances, the buttons which have previously beendesigned have been such as to produce spots of rusts after laundering ofthe garment if the button is not removed. This has inilitated againstthe commercial success of the devices, in view of the factthat thebuttons cannot be removed readily. In still other button constructionsof which I have knowledge, the garment must be specially apertured toreceive the buttons.

The main object of the present invention is to rovide a generallyimproved, quickly attachable button that will not have the deficienciesnoted in prior art con- Stl'llCtlDHS.

Among more particular objects of the invention, there are, among others,the following:

To pro'vide a button that will be adapted to be used on garments of anytype, having different thicknesses of fabric, with the button in everyinstance being adapted for swift attachment to or detachment from thegarment.

' To provide a button holder that can be used with wholly conventionalbuttons, either of the two-hole or four-hole yp To form the holder in amanner such that it will not injure the garment to which it is attached;

To permit the detachment of the button to be carried out with a facilitymatching that of the attachment of the button to the garment;

To provide a button which will itself be designed for use with thebutton holder formed in accordance with the present invention, thuspermitting either a conventional button, or alternatively a buttonaccording to the invention, to be used with the button holder;

To facilitnte'separation of the several components of 92 the buttonholder fror'n one another and from the fabric to which they areattached, whenever such separation is desired, while at the same timeinsuring that said components will remain assembled with one another andwith the fabric of the garment at all times; and

To so design the button as to permit the same to be made in any ofvarious sizes, shapes, colors, and materials.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a button holder according to thepresent invention illustrated in supporting relation to a conventionalbutton, a piece of fabric on which the button and button holder aremounted being shown 'f-ragmentarily; l V

Figure 2 is a sectional view diametrically through the button holder andbutton, substantially on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the button holder and of aconventional button with which it is associated; and

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a button formed of apertures 14.In the illustrated example the button has four rectangularly spacedapertures.- Some buttons are provided with only two apertures. As willpresentlyappear, the button holder constituting the present inventioncan be used with either type of button.

In accordance with the invention, a button retainer element 16, having aflat, disc-like form the illustrated example, is provided with aplurality of thin, elongated straight prongs '18 of springable material.At their inner ends the prongs are embedded in, or otherwise fixedlysecured to the inner surface of the element 16.

At their outer ends, the prongs 18 are provided with elongated, pointedbarbs 2h. The barbs 26 are defined through the provision of laterallyopening, angular notches 21, formed in the side surfaces of the prongus. The notches 21 are so designed as toliave the walls thereof disposedat not less than a angle to each other. The outer waH, that is, the walldisposed adjacent the sloped surface of thebarb 29, is at an obtuseangle to the length of the prong. The purpose of this arrangement willbe presently made clearly a parent. 7

Between the button 10 and the fabric 12 there is provided a spacer disc22. This has o enings 24 registering with those of the button 10. "thespacer disc 22 is used in instances in which the button is to be s acedoutwardly from the fabric 12. In some instances, the button need 7 notbe spaced outwardly from th fabric in this way, in which event thespacer disc may be eliminated. Or, the

articular shape of the bntton m' y be such as to make 1 unnecessary aspacer (list).

This would be true, for

example, when the button is of a shape such that its convex shell,having a ret g flange extending continuously at its periphery anddesignated at 27. The retaining flange receives a flat retaining plate28 having a large center opening 30. The openingis formed with anundercut or frustroconical wall, that tapers inihe direction of thecavity or space 31 defined between the retainer plate 28 and the bodyportion of the retainer member 26. 'Il1e plate 28 is secured permanentlywithin the retaine member 26 "by peening over the edge of the flange 27,upon thecircumference of the retainer plate, as shown at33inFigure2. H U

5 In use of the button holder shown in Figures l-3, a conventionalbutton of any desired size or shape is positioned over the fabric. Aspacer plate can be employed in association therewith if necessary.The'prongs 18 are extended-through the openings 14, 24, and arethen-shifted easily-through the fabric 12. At the inner side the prongsare extended into the opening 30 and initially wi ll'be camminglyengaged by the sloped wall of the opening. Thus, the free ends of theprongs are all temporarily forced inwardly toward each other. As theprongs continuetheir movement into the space.31,

' eventually the angular notches 21 will be brought into,

registration with the inner face of the retaining plate 2 8. As aresult, the barbs engage over the edge of the wall 30. JThisis shown toparticular advantage in Figure in the member 32. On their outer ends,prongs 36 have barbs defined by notches 40, the same as in the firstform can be readily pulled apart ,byan axial, prying action such aspreviously described'herein. ,The retainer 16 however, can be formed.with

i as desired, 7 i p v Of course, the spacer 22 can be of any-desired.thick- 2. -It will be apparent'that the arrangement results inthe button 10 and spacer 22 being clamped, together'with,

the fabric 12, between the outer and inner retainer members 16, 26respectively.

Thereafter, the button can be used in her. It willbeseen that anylateral pressures exerted on the button, or on any component of thebutton holder, will have no effect in respect to separating thecomponent parts of the assembly.

"If, however, it is desired to remove the button, ofie need only inserta blade-like element, not shown, between the outer retainer member 16and the button 10. Thereafter, the retainer member 16 can be shifted bya prying action axially outwardly from the inner retainer. mem- Thepreviously mentioned sloping of the end walls of the notches 21 permitsthe barbs of the prongs-to be carnmingly biased inwardly to disengagethe plate 28. It is'for this reason that the end walls of the notches 21the regular man can be formed either with two orfour prongs since'comvefitional buttons such asbutton ltl are alwayslformed with-two or fouropenings. The button in Figure 4, two, three, or four prongs,

ness, or a plurality of spacers can be employed, according to the needsof the particular situation, which wouldbe governed by the thickness :ofthe particular .fabric on which'the button is'mounted. H

Considering Figure 4, the prong means may be used exclusively of theretainer member 32 to retain a .conventional button in .place. The prongmeans maytake on the configuration of a staple andbe suitably colored toconform to the color of a button with whichit will be may be resortedto, falling the scope of are at an obtuse angle relative to the lengthsof the prongs.

Thus, itis observed that the button can be attached to or detached froma garment with maximumease and z:

speed. In every instance, the garment Wlll not be damaged by use of thebutton. Further, the button is capable of reuse any desired numberoftimes. .Still fmthen smce;

the spacing of openings 14 of a conventional button remainssubstantially the same in all buttonsor at least in a large percentage]of conventional buttons, the but5 ton holder can be used with buttons 10that may vary widely from one another in respect to. size, shape, etc,

@In Figure 4 there. is illustrated'a button which can be used in placeof the conventional button 10. 'When the buttonof Figure 4 is used, thebutton retainer 16 18 not employed. Instead, the disc-like member 32itself conration of the same. s"

The retainer member 32 can I therefore be comparatively thick. In viewof this, the

prong-means can be readily embedded in the same and 1 1 can comprise asingle piece of stout, slightly springablered material embedded in theinner face of the member The member 32 on its inner face is formed,in'the,

illustrated example, with a boss .34 constituting a spacer. 1

The'pi'ongmeansincludes a wire having legs 36 defining used and insertedby means of a suitable staple gun or the like. 1

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadly occur to thoseskilled in the art, it is not desiredto limit theinvention to the exact construction and operation shown and described,and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents tion asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A separable button construction comprising; ageneral- 1y planiform,disc-like, outer member to be disposed at one .side of a piece .offabric; a plurality of spaced,

tonand spacer elementshaving aligned apertures through which ,saidprongs extend with said outer member over- 'lying saidbuttoncleflaent,said prongs being of a spring material; and a hollow retainerpositionable at the other side of said fabric and including atransverseplate having a center opening through which said prongs will extend,said plate including a tapered edgefdefining said center opening, saidprongs having angular notches at the bases of said barbs defined byintersecting straight walls and tapered edge therein to ,yieldably:retain the button assembled, the walls ofsaid notchesbeing at an angleof not less than degrees to each other, the one wall of each notchclosest to the free. end of the prongsbeing disposed obliquely relativeto the length of the prongs to cam said prongs inwardly upon relativeaxial movement to said retainer during sepaof the prongs with respectReferences, Cited in the flle of, patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 293,517, 7Prentice Feb. 12,1884 1,368,277 Melfi 'Feb."l5, 1921 1 ,453, 2 4sHufimanw Apr. 24,1923 1,9 88,23 3 flBerendt v Ian. '15 1935...e-romesmrs s "14,406 I'Great Britain 11 894 1, 1??? zal i lf le filr iathe inven-

